The Influence of Gender Ideology on Mexican Women's Cervical Cancer Screening Behavior
Mexican women have the highest rates of invasive cervical cancer in the world (44.4/100,000) with approximately one death every 2 hours (Herrero et al., 2000). The "marianismo" and "machismo" gender ideology can create a dynamic influence over Mexican women's decisions regarding cervical cancer screening. This study focused on the influence gender ideologies have on cervical cancer screening of Mexican women living in the U.S. Study participants consisted of four women with an average age of 35 years. Two women were Spanish speaking and two English speaking. Qualitative (e.g., face-to-face interview) and quantitative (e.g., questionnaire) methodologies were used. Study results revealed that the "marianismo" ideology contributed to a low rate of cancer screening. The "machista" ideology can have either a positive or a negative influence on receipt of cervical cancer screenings.
School:
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Department:
Secondary Education
Research Advisor:
Lydia Buki
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Psychology
Year of Publication:
2006